Page 78 of Keep Your Guard Up
“Really?” I asked. The smoke alarm finally stopped blaring, so I took the opportunity to whip JJ with the tea towel I was holding.
“Ow! The fuck, dude?!” He rubbed his ass, right where I’d snapped it.
“You owe me.”
“Yeah, yeah. Add it to the list.” He waved me off. “You ready?”
“Iwas. Until you sauna-ed our kitchen with burning plastic.” I undid the black button-up I’d chosen and yanked it off. After tossing it into the laundry as I passed it, I pulled down a navy blue button-up from my closet in the next room.
“JJ! Where are the keys?!” I called, checking my wallet and phone in my pocket.
“Got ’em!”
I pulled out my phone and fired off a quick text to Sunny before almost sprinting down the hall. JJ tossed me the keys and a foil packet crinkled in my hand.
There, dangling off a new keychain, were three packaged condoms.
“Oh, my god. I’m gonna kill you,” I grumbled.
“What?! Why?! I’m just looking out for you two!”
I picked them off one by one and tossed them at him. “C’mon, dude! I don’t need Sunny seeing that shit!” I stomped off towards the door.
“It’s okay, bro! There’s some in my glove box if you need them too!”
~
I couldn’t help the smile that came to my face on the drive to Knock’s. The last twenty-four hours had been bliss—seeing Sunny drop her walls was beyond anything I could have imagined. It was like having the heat finally click over on a cool winter night—full of warmth and reassurance.
I’d called in an order to the Rustic Roo for two of Mari’s favourites—courtesy of JJ’s wealth of knowledge. Nancy and Patty had been more than happy to stay open a little late for us once I name dropped that the food would be for Sunny. Well, not Sunny. Mari. She was Mari to the rest of the world; she was a ray of fucking sunshine to me.
I floated down the street freely in neutral, giving JJ’s ute a break from the strain of running the old motor. Not a cloud in the sky, orange and pinks painted a picturesque dusk. Even the birds seemed to be watching above from all of the nearby trees. Nothing dared interrupt the beautiful evening the sun had given us.
The gravel at the base of the driveway crunched as the ute ran over it. I didn’t even bother trying to get the old girl up the driveway — we’d probably just roll straight back down. I didn’t bother pulling the keys out of the ignition either. Soggla was safe;Ifelt safe.
A very angry Sunny met me halfway up the driveway. Stormed over to me would be a more accurate description, a deep frown etched onto her face, cheeks flushed a dark pink.
“Sunny what’s—”
“Fuck off, Riordan.”
Well, that’s certainly a change in tune.
I grabbed her elbow as she went to push by me.
“Let go.”
“What’s wrong?” I demanded, ignoring her request. “Sunny, what’s happened?”
I reached a hand up to tuck that one stubborn curl from her face but was met with angry black eyes. Not the warm honey when she was happy, or the hazel hues when she was sad—onyx black for when she was angry.
“Get yourfucking handsoff me,” she growled before yanking her arm free and continuing on her path.
As soon as my foot lifted to chase after her, a voice called out to me from the peak of the driveway. “Chance, baby!”
Oh … fuck.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
